Philips Norelco Electric Shaver 5500 Wet & Dry Review

Although I must admit, shaving back in the day looked a lot more manly!

Why I Bought An Electric Razor

I have used a regular razor for shaving since I was old enough to have to shave. Then, I went to University. Like many students dropped into University fresh out of high school, I had some adjusting to do. Time management is a skill one has to learn, and there were some rough patches. I had my fair share of late night study sessions, or times where I stayed up too late partying, and sleep became a very rare luxury for me during my first few months of school. Ultimately, my lack of sleep meant certain aspects of my morning routine began to slip. One of these things was shaving.

When your morning routine is rushed, shaving is the last thing on your mind. Whipping up breakfast as fast as you can manage and rushing out the door for work or class is the only priority. If you shower at night and mornings are hectic, the chance of you lathering up with shaving cream in the morning for a quick shave is rather slim. So, after a few months of consistently walking around campus with a permanent 5 o`clock shadow, I decided to invest in an electric razor.

Why Are Electric Razors Useful?

Electric razors are useful for several reasons:

Electric razors shave more quickly than manual razors: If time is of the essence in the morning, electric shavers are the undisputed champion. They get rid of hairs very quickly because as you roll over your skin, the razor pushes the hair up, meaning you don’t need to go over the same area of skin again.

Electric razors can shave dry/without grooming products: All you need to use for an electric razor is the razor itself. No shaving cream, soaps, gels, or water is required.

Electric razors are portable: All that’s required for a quick shave is a power outlet, and this is only if your electric razor is in need of a charge.

Electric razors are easy to use: Chances are, you won’t cut or nick yourself when using an electric razor.

Electric razors are versatile: many electric razors have built in add-ons such as sideburns or mustache trimmers.

Philips Norelco Electric Shaver 5500 Wet & Dry

I purchased the Philips Norelco Electric Shaver 5500 Wet & Dry S5370/81, with Turbomode and Precision Trimmer (man that is a mouthful) off of Amazon and decided I would commit to two months of electric shaving. I wanted a razor that was affordable yet maintained quality, and the Philip Shaver 5500 is made in the Netherlands and is frequently on sale for $99.99. It arrived in the mail very quickly, and every morning I’d give myself a quick touch-up before heading out the door for class. The immediate benefits of the Philips Shaver 5500 were apparent

The Benefts

The Philips Shaver 5500 doesn’t have a problem with slightly longer hair: even after 3 or 4 days, I still was able to get a decent shave.

Cleaning is easy: All I really had to do after shaving was rinse the shaver under the tap.

The battery life/charging process is acceptable: Many electric razors are poor simply due to their short battery life. The Philip Shaver 5500 has about 50 minutes worth of battery life, and charging only takes about 1 hour. Not bad.

The click-on trimmer: The Philips Shaver 5500 has a built in side burn and mustache trimmer, and it works fairly well for an accurate shave.

The Downsides

Now, those are just the benefits I found of the Philips Shaver 5500. But, like any honest and thorough product review, it is also important to cover the negative aspects as well. There’s a reason many men stay away from electric razors/shaving altogether, and here are some of them:

Your shave will not be as close with an electric razor: Speed and easy shaving comes at a cost. Your shave will simply not be as close as it would be with a manual razor.

You need to get used to using an electric razor: The shaving part is easy with an electric razor, the feeling takes getting used to. For the first few weeks I experienced a lot of razor burn, especially on my neck (it is also very difficult to shave your neck with an electric razor.)

The cost: I was fortunate in that I had $100 I could use for an electric razor, though an electric razor is a purchase that definitely warrants consideration before putting down the money.

Hair length: if you slack on shaving for more than 3 or 4 days and let your hair grow, you might need to switch back to a manual razor for the day. Electric razors aren’t the best at dealing with more than 3 or 4 days of hair growth.

Is Buying an Electric Razor Worth it?

Overall, I was not disappointed with my 2 month electric razor experiment. Ultimately, I still prefer the feeling and look a manual razor provides, though during my hectic mornings the Philip Shaver 5500 did save me valuable time. It has also held up quite well since I finished University, and I usually bring my electric razor along (fully charged) if I’m going to be up at the cottage or a friend’s place for a long weekend and will need a shave.

So what do I recommend? I believe when deciding if an electric razor is right for you, it is helpful to look at why you might even need one in the first place. I needed an electric razor because I was short on time, but I was short on time because of poor time management skills. After my first year in University I smartened up and got my act together, and I no longer needed to use an electric razor in the morning since I had time for a manual shave. If you aren’t pressed for time in the morning or if you don’t travel very frequently, stick with manual razors. If you constantly feel rushed and can’t always get in a quality shave, invest in an electric razor. Perhaps even give the Philip Shaver 5500 a try!

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